Mujo chef, Castellucci Group announce new Japanese restaurant

Castellucci Hospitality Group and chef J. Trent Harris, the team behind Mujo, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s No. 1 restaurant on the Atlanta 50 list, have announced they will open their second restaurant, Koshu Club, in early 2026 in Buckhead.

Koshu Club will be an “elegant dining experience” inspired by the Showa-era supper clubs of Japan, according to a news release. The Showa era refers to the reign of Japanese emperor Hirohito, posthumously called Showa, which began in 1926. The phenomenon of Showa nostalgia hearkens to Japan’s post-World War II economic boom.

Koshu Club will be located in the 99 West Paces apartment building across the street from the St. Regis Atlanta hotel. Harris will lead as executive chef along with Mujo’s Keith Miller as chef de cuisine. The menu will bridge washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine that emphasizes balance and a respect for nature, with yoshoku traditions, a style of cuisine that adapts Western dishes to Japanese methods and ingredients.

Diners can expect seafood and cuts of meat prepared in the art of sumibiyaki, or slow-grilled over binchotan charcoal to give the protein “depth, fragrance and a perfect balance of flavor,” according to the news release.

The beverage program will include a curated sake selection, Japanese-style cocktails and a wine cellar that highlights classic and emerging producers from around the world.

The interiors are designed by Smith Hanes Studio and will balance “warmth and precision” with the goal of evoking mid-century Japan.

Harris, a New York City sushi chef, founded Mujo as a takeout-only omakase pop-up in Castellucci Hospitality’s tapas restaurant Cooks & Soldiers in 2020. After its success as a pop-up, the team opened Mujo as a brick-and-mortar in 2022 in west Midtown.